Headlines

Jill Lawrence

Obama’s white-guy problem seems worse than it is

But a confluence of factors is making the frat-house syndrome seem worse than it is.

1. Obama has in recent days nominated Sen. John Kerry to go to State, former Sen. Chuck Hagel to be Defense secretary, and counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to head the CIA, and is reportedly about to name White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew as his next Treasury secretary. All white, all guys.

2. Hillary Clinton is leaving. Yes, I know I already said that. But she is such a powerful symbol and role model that her absence will leave a void larger than just one woman. In addition, her departure means that men will be in charge at State, Treasury, Defense and Justice—the top four Cabinet posts, ranking fourth through seventh in the presidential line of succession (after the vice president, House speaker and president pro tempore of the Senate).

3. Three women in the running for top jobs, or who should have been serious candidates, have been passed over. Foremost is Rice, reportedly Obama’s top choice to succeed Clinton, but unable to convince key Republicans she did not mislead the public on the murders of U.S. personnel in Benghazi. Former Deputy Defense Secretary Michele Flournoy was a top candidate for the Pentagon job, but Obama chose Hagel. Lael Brainard, Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, much talked about in some circles to succeed outgoing Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, is losing out to Lew.

FemiNazis will excuse ANYTHING as long as a Democrat fights for their right to unfettered abortion.

Remember this?

Why Feminists Support Clinton

By GLORIA STEINEM

If all the sexual allegations now swirling around the White House turn out to be true, President Clinton may be a candidate for sex addiction therapy. But feminists will still have been right to resist pressure by the right wing and the news media to call for his resignation or impeachment. The pressure came from another case of the double standard.

For one thing, if the president had behaved with comparable insensitivity toward environmentalists, and at the same time remained their most crucial champion and bulwark against an anti-environmental Congress, would they be expected to desert him? I don’t think so. If President Clinton were as vital to preserving freedom of speech as he is to preserving reproductive freedom, would journalists be condemned as “inconsistent” for refusing to suggest he resign? Forget it.

For another, there was and is a difference between the accusations against Mr. Clinton and those against Bob Packwood and Clarence Thomas. Commentators might stop puzzling over the president’s favorable poll ratings, especially among women, if they understood the common-sense guideline to sexual behavior that came out of the women’s movement 30 years ago: no means no; yes means yes.

It’s the basis of sexual harassment law. It also explains why the news media’s obsession with sex qua sex is offensive to some, titillating to many and beside the point to almost everybody. Like most feminists, most Americans become concerned about sexual behavior when someone’s will has been violated; that is, when “no” hasn’t been accepted as an answer.

Perhaps we have a responsibility to make it O.K. for politicians to tell the truth — providing they are respectful of “no means no; yes means yes” — and still be able to enter high office.

Until then, we will disqualify energy and talent the country needs.

It was the op-ed that formed the basis of the “One Free Grope Rule” for male Democrats.